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Archive for June, 2012

It is bedtime daddy bear has read the story and now it is time for Ben and Ursula to go to sleep. Ben can’t get to sleep. He tosses and he turns. He throws the covers off and pulls the covers on. He keeps calling for just one more hug and one more kiss. Will he ever fall asleep?

A warm and amusing story outlining the frustration every parent must surely know when a child just will not drop off to sleep. This is a wonderful family story that seemed so very familiar to me, and I’m sure that I’m not the only one. The illustrations perfectly capture the feelings of love and exasperation of a family around bedtime. A cute little book.

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Lighty Faust the Lion is one of Ru’s favourite friends. They have so much fun together, including doing things like flying to the moon. Lighty Faust even goes to school with Ru. Then the day comes when Ru must say good bye to Lighty Faust.

This is a story that is about having an imaginary friend. It is silly fun and embraces the wildness and scope of a child’s imagination, in the process it touches on the idea of growing up. The illustrations are distinct and very simple, mostly in dark tones yet they somehow convey the playfulness of the experience.

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Sophie is just about to turn 10 and the only thing she is looking forward to is hopefully getting a new skateboard from her parents, who are away. She and her twin brother Anthony are staying with their grandfather who very clearly favours Anthony but Sophie is okay because she has her friend ********* to play with. Things are about to change though when it is Sophie not Anthony who becomes the new Guardian of the magic gateway in the mysterious Shadow Woods. Her grandfather was the previous guardian and he is the one who now has to prepare Sophie for the task ahead. She is off to a really bad start though because she has already lost the key to the gateway to the Goblin King.

A fun adventure with a very active female protagonist. Sophie is the sort of girl who likes athletics, tae kwan do and skateboarding. There is the usual grumpy grandfather who expected the boy to inherit and a best friend who is determined to help no matter what. The goblins are a bit silly and a little gross and there is plenty of action. This is something for girls looking for something with a little more dirt and butt kicking and for boys who should learn to accept females as great main characters.

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Martha Grimstone wants to be Lady Martha the Magnificcent. She hasn’t yet found her special talent that will make her magnificent but she hasn’t given up. She hopes that her Grandpa will let her study to be an apothecary like him, even though his skills haven’t helped her Mama who cries and cries all the time. Then this one time Martha sneaks into the apothecary and works her very own spell, it’s only a little one and the result is quite surprising.

A gothic tale about a young girl who writes her secrets down whilst inventing things and looking for her special talent. Not very dark in its tone this quirky story is about a slightly strange family and a girl who wants family to feel like family. Martha is a creative and determined girl who won’t give up. The accompanying pictures, including a lot of photos of puppets as the characters, adds to the quirky tone. Give this a look if you are looking for something different.

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This time the B stands for Baby. Billie is going to be a big sister and she is very excited. She has decided to give the new baby her favourite teddy bear Fred as she won’t need him any more because she will be a big sister. Then when the time comes for Billie’s mum to go to the hospital Billie comes to think that maybe there are times she still needs Fred.

A cute little story about all the nerves, excitement and changes that happen when a new baby is expected into a family. Billie as always is enthusiastic and fun and in the process she learns a little something. Billie B Brown books are a lot of fun and they let kids know it is okay not to always feel good and happy about different things.Billie is a great character and feels so real and identifiable to readers because she is allowed to experience, this is valuable for our children to read about.

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Okay the thing is I am a fan girl, actors/authors/characters, and I love it. I am totally unashamed of this part of my personality. A great thing about being me is I know plenty of others who indulge in geekdom and fandom as well. I was not alone this weekend, in fact SuperNova Perth had it’s biggest weekend there ever. It was huge and so much fun.

Why am I posting this you may wonder? Well because the sci-fi/fantasy fans are the best. We are avid and passionate. For many of us it starts at a young age, books/comics we love it and we devour it.

This weekend I saw cartoon characters, movie characters, comic book characters, tv show characters, game characters and book characters. Now is the time I will point out that a great many of these characters come from written word formats in one way or another. If you have kids who are avid readers and you want something to challenge them but will not have inappropriate themes, then often fantasy is a good place to go (not George RR Martin though). If you have reluctant readers give them a comic book. Reading is reading, and that is a good thing, and conventions are a great place to realise just how great it can be to escape for just a little while.

I have friends who dressed up as manga characters (they cosplay regularly). They were a huge hit over the weekend and spent much time being photographed by complete strangers. [Manga is something that can be read not just watched – for those of you out of the loop.]

A convention is also a great place to meet authors and get your favourite book/s signed and even find some new authors to try.

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A story is a powerful thing. Once we step inside there are worlds to discover, treasures to find, mysteries to solve, adventures to be had and friends to meet. You can learn, laugh, cry, be amazed and be swept away. Come on a journey with me as I welcome you to
TheKylieVerse